KEY POINTS:
Christine Rankin's fortunes in public polls have done a u-turn since she was the first contestant ousted from last year's Dancing with the Stars - and she couldn't be more pleased.
The outspoken former Work and Income boss, known for her short skirts and dangly earrings, won a place on the Auckland Regional Council with just over 23,000 votes from the North Shore, about 4000 ahead of her closest rival, Joel Cayford, who was re-elected.
Ms Rankin said she was delighted with the result, particularly because people tended to either love her or hate her.
"I do polarise people, there's absolutely no doubt about that," said the East Coast Bays resident, whose top priority remained getting a second harbour crossing.
"I've got strong opinions, I fight really hard for what I believe in and I don't give in, and that doesn't mean that everybody loves you. To achieve what I achieved [in the election] is big for me."
Ms Rankin's tally was larger than the 20,587 votes for incoming North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams.
She said her sense of style would not change.
"The earrings have stayed for as long as I've been wearing them, which would be 20 years at least. And why would they go?" she said. "I am what I am. And people know what I am. And that's what they voted for in considerable numbers."
Ms Rankin was one of four ARC newcomers, including Clive Carter, a lawyer and father of Olympic gold medallist Hamish Carter.
ARC chairman Mike Lee said the make-up of the 13-member council had shifted slightly to the right in the election, as was often seen with low voter turnouts.
But he said there had not been the stronger swing to the right seen in other parts of the country because the ARC's credibility had been restored in the last term.
The new council's direction will become clearer next week when members vote in the chairperson for the next three years.
It is likely the position will go either to Mr Lee, a centre-left politician, or Michael Barnett, team leader of the right-leaning Citizens and Ratepayers ticket. Either will need a majority of seven votes.
While four C&R candidates, including Ms Rankin, were elected to the ARC, Mr Lee told the Herald he believed he had the support to continue in the role.
Mr Barnett said he and Mr Lee met yesterday to discuss how the whole council could work together.
"We need to have everybody involved and use the skills that we've got there," said Mr Barnett.
"Traditionally people tend to look and say, 'He's right and she's left', whereas that's not my style."
ARC NEWCOMERS
* Clive Carter: Lawyer and father of Olympic gold medallist Hamish Carter.
* Christine Rankin: Former Work and Income boss and current chief executive of the For the Sake of Our Children Trust.
* Brent Morrissey: Health sector professional who has served on the Counties Manukau District Health Board.
* Jan Sinclair: Known to constituents through nine years on the Manukau City Council.
RETURNING COUNCILLORS
Michael Barnett
Judith Bassett
Mike Lee
Dianne Glenn
Bill Burrill
Joel Cayford
Christine Rose
Sandra Coney
Paul Walbran
